Spared
by Kessie-Louise
Summary: Vaguely based on the 2012 series: The rubble from the burnt home was evident everywhere, but she lay unharmed. She made several sounds of dissatisfaction and confusion. It wasn't long before He heard her and gave her a choice she would have been to young to possibly decide... but she did choose well in the long run.


The Shredder looked over his doing. He had burned Hamato Yoshi's home down in revenge, and yes, Tang Shen (who should have been his to begin with) and their daughter (who would have been his as well) were inside the home at the time of the burning, and they met their demise. Fools. But... there was a disturbance that proved otherwise. There was a soft, pitiful sound not far away. The sound... of a baby crying.

Slowly, Shredder made his way toward the sound and stopped. Sure enough there was a baby among the rubble, and not just any baby either.

"Miwa," Shredder said, addressing the baby, "Why are you still alive?"

The baby looked back up at him, tilting her head, as if she was deciding something. Shredder then bent down and picked her up. The baby didn't have any signs of the fire on her, no bruising or burn marks. It was almost a miracle. But she was Hamato Yoshi's kin, and when she would be older, she would come after Shredder. There was evidence of it on her soft, chubby baby face. Ironically enough, at that moment Miwa had more wisdom and insight on her face than any other baby of comparable age.

The Shredder raised a spike-knuckled gloved hand, intending to kill her to prevent future confrontations. But he did none of the sort. She was stopping him. Tiny Miwa, using only her baby-like innocence and blank stares was stopping him from ending her life. She was only three months old...

"You have your mother's eyes..." Shredder softly said before slowly lowering his hand to more firmly hold and cradle the baby. "She knew all she had to do was give me one look and I would do whatever she wanted."

Miwa made a sound that gave neither like nor dislike at what Shredder was doing or talking about.

"I cannot kill a child." Shredder then told the baby, "It is dishonorable in several cultures, including ours."

Shredder imagined Miwa raising her eyebrow, as if she was saying 'oh really?'

"You have a future to hold, and as I am responsible for those shortcomings, I am now under your guardianship."

Miwa made a sound while squirming a little, as if she was aware of who he was and what he did and that she did not want to be with him.

"Do you refuse then? Because I am still not afraid to kill." he told her, as if to scare her into submission, but again, the baby showed signs of being brighter than another. She knew he wouldn't do such a thing after he had already told her so.

"There is one other option," the Shredder admitted to the baby, "I may not raise you directly, but we will meet again and I will claim you as mine. And if you rebel me then, I will not hesitate to kill you. Understand?"

Miwa squirmed again while making (what Shredder took as) happy babbles. Anything to not be raised by him. Anything! He had taken away Mommy and Daddy, why would he think she would even enjoy being with him to someday destroy others the same way?

"Oroku Miwa, we will meet again." the Shredder vowed, before taking the baby to the third option of which he had in mind; the orphanage.

* * *

It was dark when he set her in a spot they were sure to notice her the next morning. The baby was sleeping at this time, and she peacefully slept on as the Shredder set her down and left. The Shredder took a look back on Miwa. She had no idea (and she never would, he figured) that she had saved her own life by just staring at him with her mother's eyes. She had no idea that she had avoided being raised by him as an apparent preference. She had no idea that when she would be adopted by a family eventually, that she may end up half way across the world. But he would find her. Shredder vowed he would find her, and she will be his by then.

By then, not even Hamato Yoshi (if he somehow inexplicably survived that is) would be able to claim her. Never.


End file.
